One More Time
by Katie 452
Summary: Because, if there is one thing that Jesse St. James won't ever be, it's a Lima Loser and that alone, that desperate need to get the hell out of this place, makes him capable of almost anything .


Title: One More Time

Author: Katie

Summary: Because, if there is one thing that Jesse St. James won't ever be, it's a Lima Loser (and that alone, that desperate need to _get the hell out_ of this place, makes him capable of almost anything).

Spoilers: Up to and including "Dream On"

Pairing: Rachel/Jesse (St. Berry)

Authors Note: Just something that had been swimming in my head for a while, hope you like it.

Feed Back: I LOVE feedback, PLEASE send a little my way!

Disclaimer: I own … nothing.

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He's lying on her bed, his back against a pile of pillows. She's lying down as well, her head on his chest, her hands balled up in his shirt. One of his hands rests on her hip, the other pulling through her hair in an easy repetitive motion.

The tape ends and the player makes a clicking sound and it automatically rewinds the tape. She moves her hands to his chest so that she can prop herself up and as the cassette player clicks again, singling that the tape has been rewound, she reaches her hand out so that she can hit play again.

He darts his hand out, catching her wrist before she can hit play. "Jesse…" She mumbles pulling her hand back and lying it on his chest so she can look at him.

"You have to stop listening to it; it's not going to change. You're driving yourself crazy" Jesse says softly, resting a hand on her cheek.

"You're the one that made me listen to it in the first place, Jesse. I liked my life, I didn't need to change it, or know who she is, but now she's all I can think about." Rachel shrugs a little, "Now I have to know, and that tape is all I've ever had."

He's never worried much before if what he was doing was the _right_ thing. Not with Rachel Berry, and not in general. He did what he had to do to be the best, to gain acceptance to UCLA and to keep himself on track to be on Broadway by the time he's 23. But as he tucks a lock of Rachel's hair behind her ear (and she leans into his palm) he hopes that Shelby has all the right intentions and that he hasn't ruined her life.

She starts to snake her hand out again and he laughs a little and easily flips her over so she's lying on her back, tucked neatly beneath him. Her hands cling to his shoulders and he keeps one hand in her hair, the other splayed over her ribcage.

She starts laughing and as he looks around her ridiculously pink room and listens to her laugh he knows he's screwed. He drops his head a little, so he can catch her lips with his and she tightens her grip on his shoulders.

The thing is that she's like forty-eight different kinds of crazy but he can feel himself falling for her anyway and that was _never_ part of the plan.

"Jesse?" she asks quietly as they break the kiss, "Do you think she even wants to know me, I mean, she did what she did for a reason…" he leans down and kisses her again, resting his forehead against hers when he pulls away.

"She'd be lucky to know you…and all your drama queen ways" he says quietly and she balls her fist and hits him lightly, "Seriously, Rachel…I'm sure she had her reasons but I know that when you find her, she's going to be really happy" he whispers.

"You can't know that" Rachel sighs and he lies back down, pulling her against him once again.

"Sure I can" he mumbles as she settles in against him.

"Jesse?" Rachel mumbles softly, looking up at him. When he murmurs out a long 'hmmm' she swallows before, "One more time?"

"Last time" he says before he reaches out and presses play on the boom box. She snuggles in closer to him as _I Dreamed A Dream_ fills the air in the small room.

He doesn't know if what he's doing is right but he does know that Shelby Corcoran holds his UCLA hopes in her hands so he does it anyway.

Because, if there is one thing that Jesse St. James won't ever be, it's a Lima Loser (and that alone, that desperate need to _get the hell out_ of this place, makes him capable of almost anything).

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Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


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